Far from the Villages

Thirteen thousand men, women and children from the Koloye region live in Gouroukoun refugee camp in the eastern part of the Central African Republic of Chad. They fled from their villages in the face of ethnic violence linked to the Darfur crisis. In his film, director and cameraman Olivier Zuchuat allows witnesses of these attacks to talk to the camera without directing the flow of what they have to say. Men and women, who have experienced murder, starvation and the trauma of being forced to flee empty-handed from their homes, choose the message that they want to tell the world. With the aid of extensive footage, we are able to observe life in the camp, where funeral rituals and new marriage negotiations are held alongside the daily grind to stay alive. Children's drawings and songs sketch the contours of war. Their thoughts on the world reflect the experiences they have so far gleaned from what has been happening in their surroundings. This visually compelling picture is a gentle exploration of the life of an oppressed people, whose only "crime" has been their ethnic identity.